Catching Stars
by EventHorizon6
Summary: Sienna Kestrel is a woman with a dangerous secret and a past that's chasing her and her father across the galaxy. When their ship comes under attack by the very people that want Sienna dead, her only hope is to escape in a skiff which is rescued by none other than Captain Jim Hawkins, the only man that might yet be able to save her and her family. Possible JimxOC, not sure yet.
1. A Dangerous Gift

Catching Stars

**Chapter 1**  
**A Dangerous Gift**

_"You must never, ever tell anyone about this, do you understand?"_

_ "Why?"_

_ His eyes had been so innocent, so questioning and so trustworthy. _

_ "Because there are those in this world that want to take them away."_

* * *

Sienna glared up at the ship that was to be her new home for the next couple of months. The knapsack slung over her shoulder felt heavy like it was dragging her down, determined to anchor her to the spot. She wouldn't have minded if it did.

"Isn't she a beaut, Sienna?" her father chuckled, sticking out his broad chin as he rubbed his neck. "Today's a fine day for casting off, don't you agree?"

"It would be a fine day if we weren't leaving so soon," she sighed, her eyes downcast. She hated this part of every voyage. Spacing was her life, wandering from planet to planet, port to port was in her blood. Deep down Sienna knew she would never be happy stuck on the ground, but even so that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye…

* * *

_"Don't make me do this."_

_ "Do what?"_

_ "Please don't make this harder than it has to be."_

_ "Sienna," he cajoled, twisting some of her gentle blonde hair behind her ear._

* * *

"You know we have to, Sia," her father gave her a small smile, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Sienna was thankful at least to have him with her. Always. Together they climbed up to the vessel that was preparing for launch. Her father headed straight for the first mate, grabbing his hand in a firm shake.

"It'll be a pleasure to have the two of you on board," the first mate was saying when Sienna finally approached. She was too busy checking out the rest of the ship to care for the formalities that accompanied every voyage. She knew her place aboard every ship, this was merely routine for both her and her father, but nonetheless it was an important one. Her father said it was always best to give the captain and first mate a good first impression. That went for anyone.

"Please, Sir, the pleasure is ours," her father chuckled.

"Well, as you know, Mr. Kestrel you'll be working under our top rigger Mr. Metcalf. Ms. Kestrel, you will be assigned to cabin girl duties for the time being. If the two of you follow me I'll introduce you to the captain and the others on board," the first mate, Mr. Olson, announced and began the dutifully task of giving them a full tour of the ship and its inhabitants. There was the robot navigator B.U.B, the riggers Metcalf, Tykot, Ettenberg, Magil, Ammons. Then there were the ropers: Bochner, Colburn, Wolcowitz, and Ure. First Mate Olson then introduced them to the specialists and by that point in the tour Sienna had lost track of all the names and persons aboard. She'd get to know them sooner or later and she had never been very good at names.

The only names that really stuck with her was the cook's and the captain's.

The captain they met briefly with in his stateroom to discuss their work and how the ship was generally run on a daily basis. His name was John Ehler, and when Sienna had first walked into his stateroom she had to stifle a giggle. He looked like a punk not at all fit for the life of a captain. His hair was a natural purple, sticking up here and there. His body was a grayish color, his eyes solid black. Other than these odd color attributes he looked relatively human. It was always nice for Sienna to find other humans. She didn't get to see many when on her voyages and it made her feel more singled out than she already was.

Captain John Ehler kept a tight ship, which Sienna guessed had mostly to do with his first mate for when they entered his stateroom to be introduced he had his feet propped up on his desk, a pipe stuck in his mouth.

"You're the new recruits?" he had barked upon their entrance. Sienna and her father shared a look. They had experienced all sorts of captains on their travels, but none of them nearly as laid back as John Ehler.

"Yes, Sir, my name is –"

"Kestrel. You're Farleigh Kestrel. The pleasure is mine." Ehler stood at last to reach across his desk and take up her father's hand in a firm shake. When he turned, his eyes locked on her own. "And you must be Lady Sienna Kestrel of nineteen years," he nodded.

"I'm not a lady," she replied. Ehler laughed as he eyed her in a way that made Sienna uncomfortable.

"Well, you look rightly like one to me, ha!" he chuckled before turning back to his first mate. "Olson, please show the Kestrels to their posts. We'll be launching shortly."

"Aye, Sir," Olson saluted and gestured for Farleigh and Sienna to leave the room. Just before Olson shut the door behind them, Sienna glanced back to see Ehler staring at her, his dark eyes searching her own.

* * *

_She couldn't deny him when he kissed her like that. She had never felt so alive and so lost at the same time. Everything about him intoxicated her, made her believe he was the one, but all good things must end._

* * *

Sienna touched her lips that night as she stood up on deck, watching the stars. She had helped the cook prepare a handsome dinner for the crew and had finished all of the dreadful dishes that accumulated afterward. She hadn't really minded the work, though. It kept her hands busy, her mind on numbing activities to distract her from the pain in her chest. Her stomach felt tight now as she stood on deck and despite her attempts to keep the memories at bay they flooded her mind, making her witness everything that she would never have again.

"I'm sorry, Sienna."

Sienna jumped and turned to face her father who came to lean on the rail beside her.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she muttered, dipping her head.

"I just want you to understand I'm doing this to protect you," he justified. "I want to keep you safe. You carry a dangerous gift."

"I know," she breathed. She would always know and a part of Sienna wondered if it would ever end, the running, the hiding, the fighting.

"He was a nice boy. He really cared about you, you know," her father whispered. Sienna nodded. "I should have told you this sooner, but he came to me the day before our departure and asked for your hand."

"What?" Sienna cried, her head snapping up as she stared at her father with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

"I told him to go home, that as much I wanted such a relationship to blossom it was not possible," Farleigh replied.

"You told him to go home?" she yelled. "What is wrong with you? I could have been engaged! I could have –"

"Gotten married?" her father interrupted. "What sort of a marriage would that have been, Sienna? You know as much as I do that even if you would be able to return to live with him, your visits would be few. Is that the life you want for your significant other? Having him wait for months, sometimes years for you to return? He deserves better. You deserve better."

"Then when will it end?" Sienna snapped, glaring at Farleigh. "When will it ever end? I might as well just die an old maid because I can never stop running!"

"Sienna, lower your voice," he hissed. "You know as much as I do that it will end when we find her."

"And how long will that take? Another year? Another millennium? We've been on the run since I was thirteen years old. We've been searching for her for six years now, and there's no trace of her anywhere. We don't even know if she's still alive –"

"Don't!" her father shouted her down, his eyes flashing. It wasn't like him to get this angry, so Sienna knew she had played the wrong card. "Don't you say that. We must never think the worst unless we wish it to be true. Do you wish for your mother to be dead, Sienna?"

Sienna felt tears prick her eyes and she wiped them away furiously.

"Why did she have to go?" she choked. "Why did she leave us like that?"

"I don't know, but we'll find her, Sienna. We will. Go take your bath now. I'll make sure nobody interrupts you," he answered. This was how it had always been on board. Sienna only washed and dressed herself when she was sure nobody would interrupt her – that no one would see her back exposed, see the scars on her shoulder blades and question what they were. As she locked herself in the bathroom that evening she took care in undressing herself. She wasn't ugly, but she didn't consider herself beautiful. The only part of her she truly admired was her long blonde hair stretching past her shoulders, a slight curl here and there.

As she stood in front of the grimy mirror, she stared at her reflection and wondered where her mother was just as she always did when she was alone. Around the time Sienna had turned thirteen, her mother had disappeared. Her and her father had searched everywhere, but there was no trace of the woman that once was. There was no indication of murder or struggle or even foul play. It was as if she had never existed except for the few articles of clothing left behind and the photographs in their sitting room.

Shortly after that, the real danger had come. Their home had been lost when _they_ came to take Sienna. She and her father had no choice but to flee and they had been on the run ever since. Sienna squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to reminisce on the pain. She wished everything was as it should be.

And more than anything she wished she did not bear such a burden.

Her eyes flew open and she tensed the muscles in her back. Clenching her teeth she pushed as out came her feathered appendages. Her wings so long and elegant, the feathers sleek, shining with the moon. Her way to escape, to fly and feel ever so free. And yet she could never use them for fear of someone hurting her. There were people in the galaxy that wanted her kind dead – hunted down, their wings sold for profit. She was nothing but game, a fleeing animal. She wondered if her mother had known the hunters were coming. If so, why didn't she tell Sienna and Farleigh? Why had she left them to fend for themselves? Was her mother really such a coward?

Sienna stared at her wings. It felt good to stretch them out, even if they were still cramped in the tiny bathroom. Her father called them a gift. He had never referred to them as anything but.

_"They are a gift, Sienna, because they are a part of you, and you are a gift. You are my gift. Don't you ever forget that."_

She didn't see them as a gift, though. She saw them as a death mark, an imperfection, a piece of her she had never wanted and yet she had received. Sienna stood in the dim bathroom for the longest time, staring at her wings and at her reflection.

How long would she have to run to protect something she didn't want to protect?

"Cut them off," she whispered brutally to the emptiness around her. She was always empty, always alone now. She was losing everything she loved all for a pair of feathered appendages that meant nothing, nothing at all.

_"They are a gift."_

A dangerous gift indeed.

**A/N: So I guess this is the first chapter of another random Treasure Planet story I decided to work on. I know all of you...fangirls want Jim to come in and he will enter the story very soon, I promise. I just needed to set up a few things before I had him jump in like the awesome character he is. I'm trying to decide if I want this to be a JimxOC story, or just an interesting story about Sienna Kestrel. **

**I'll let you guys decide that. I don't know if anyone is actually going to be interested in this story. Probably not, so I probably won't finish this or put in as much time and effort as I do with my Sky Sailor Treasure Planet fan fictions (those _are_ stories where Jim has a romantic relationship with another OC of mine called Alice). **

**Um, so yeah, if people are really interested in this story I'll write more. If not, pfff, I'll just leave it be. I probably shouldn't be starting another story, but I couldn't help myself and I had to do it. Creative ideas do that to you. **

**So I guess I hope somebody enjoys this. If not, it's cool, thanks for giving it a read anyway, I very much appreciate it. **


	2. Our Benefactor

**Chapter 2**

**Our Benefactor**

The days on the ship were like any other uneventful days on the ship. Sienna did her part of keeping the ship in top condition. This meant such jobs as picking astro barnacles off the hull, cleaning the heads (which was spacer talk for bathrooms), swabbing the deck, washing the dishes, and helping prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She didn't particularly mind the last part, Sienna had always prided herself on her cooking abilities.

She had been the cabin girl for so many years her talent for the culinary arts began to expand. She enjoyed it when she got to watch her crewmembers' faces light up whenever they tasted a new dish. Occasionally, if she had the ingredients and the time, she would shape certain vegetables or fruits into animals. When the crew would come to dinner, each would find a little swan apple on the side of their plate.

It wasn't much, but she delighted in hearing their praises. It was one thing she could be proud of in the mess that was her life. She tried not to change her clothes as much, for that meant exposing her back. She changed every few days when she bathed, and she always made sure her father was close by to guard the door.

Every night before she fell asleep she'd touch her shoulders where, hiding just beneath the fabric of her shirt, her wings lay folded into her skin. Everything was as it should be in her world. Despite the miserable circumstances of being out in space for so long, Sienna couldn't complain too much. She was used to these sorts of conditions, and secretly she would put up with anything if it only meant she could see the stars.

The only person on board that still unnerved her was Captain John Ehler. She didn't know what agitated her when he was around. It was like his very presence rubbed her the wrong way. She would often catch him staring at her when she was alone at work. Sometimes he'd address her straightforward like, but even though his words held no ill-intent, there was something malicious in his tone of voice.

Sienna didn't spend too much time dwelling on it. Her duties aboard the vessel kept her mind otherwise occupied. She had to admit her arm muscles had certainly toned over the course of six years spacing. As she examined her naked body in the mirror again on the night of one of her baths, she couldn't help but give a little flex, admiring the bump she saw. A smirk curled at the corners of her lips while she washed her hair, brushing out her wings, careful not to get them wet.

It had been so long since the last attack with the hunters she had to wonder if they were still coming after her at all. As she sat in the cold bathwater, running the soap bar across her skin, she pondered if it had been that urgent she and Farleigh relocate from their most recent home. The only reason Farleigh had suggested they pack up was because he had gotten supposed 'wind' of hunters in the area. Sienna wasn't sure she believed him now. How would they have found her anyway? Right as her life was starting to pick up again, right when she had found someone who cared about her and her wings, it had to be ripped away. Sienna sighed as she stood from her bath and wrapped a towel around her body, taking care to fold her wings into her back once more.

"I won't forget you," she whispered to the mirror as she touched its cool surface. "I won't forget you, Will."

* * *

Farleigh rubbed his face as he stood on deck later that evening for night's watch. Nothing much interesting happened to the ship at night. Still, he knew it was an important duty, though a boring one. Pirates or other natural hazards were certainly not uncommon. The ship had been en route around the edge of the Phantom Nebula all day. It was an enormous nebula if it was taking them this long to go around it, Farleigh thought. It wasn't safe for a ship to sail through a nebula. Nobody was ever sure how long it would take and because of the thick stellar clouds starlight could not reach the sails often causing ships to lose power and be sent adrift. As Farleigh patrolled the deck, staring the nebula down once in a while, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was the helmsman, or rather the helmsman and the captain.

Both were in front of the wheel and arguing in low voices. Farleigh was about to confront them to see if there was any threat he should be aware of, when something held him back. He pretended not to notice their conversation, but Ehler did not look pleased. At last the captain returned to his stateroom. Farleigh watched as the helmsman placed their small vessel on autopilot before turning to follow the captain.

It was very dangerous for a helmsman to resort to autopilot when sailing a ship. It was almost only ever done in such cases where the helmsman was needed elsewhere for an emergency of some sorts. Surely, this wasn't an emergency.

Farleigh pursed his lips as he scanned the deck and the rigging. Nobody else was awake. Taking care to be silent, he crept up the helm's steps toward the captain's stateroom door which was partly cracked allowing a small sliver of light to flood the darkness outside.

Farleigh was about to knock and question what was going on when he heard a name that made his blood run cold.

"Sienna…"

Immediately he shifted into the shadows to listen.

"If she's the one, why don't we take them now?" the helmsman was saying.

"No, we are not going to jeopardize this situation. It's delicate. We've only been aboard for two weeks. They need to gain our trust," Ehler snapped.

"Sir, with all due respect, they are vastly outnumbered," Olson spoke up making Farleigh scowl. So the first mate was in on it as well?

"Vastly outnumbered? Yes, but we have strict orders to deliver them to sector 7. Perhaps we could get away with skewering them both and just cutting off the lass' wings now, but do you really want to risk a mistake with our benefactor? If you idiots try anything at all, I will not be the one to cover for your mistakes," Ehler hissed. Farleigh felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him. He couldn't believe it. All of this time their enemies had been so close, trapping them and herding them toward Sector 7 without even the slightest of suspicion on Farleigh's part.

But who was their benefactor?

Farleigh didn't want to wait around to find out. He had to wake Sienna and they had to escape tonight. With the nebula so close they could easily disappear in the clouds. It was their only chance, albeit a risky one. The man crept down to the bunkhouse below deck before gripping Sienna's arm and shaking her awake. She stared up at her father with sleepy eyes.

"Dad, wha -?"

"Grab your things, come with me," he ordered. "And don't make a sound." Sienna snapped to attention. She knew that voice – it was the voice her father took on when they were in danger. Sienna had learned long ago that whenever her father held that tone with her she was to follow and not ask questions until the danger had passed. As quiet as she could, she grabbed her knapsack and swung it over her shoulder before following him back up the steps to the empty deck.

Sienna didn't understand when she saw him glance at the helm, releasing a breath of air when he noticed that nobody was around. She wondered where the helmsman could be and a sinking feeling began clawing its way up her stomach. Something about the situation was very wrong. Her primal instincts to flee kicked in. She wanted nothing more than to begin an all-out sprint to the longboats below deck, but they needed to be quiet lest anyone find them.

They darted through the corridors of the lower levels, pausing every so often to listen for followers. When they had finally made it to the longboat hold, Farleigh wasted no time in pulling down the lever to open the hatch below. The skiff's cables ground into motion, bringing the small craft over the opening that led to deep space.

"Sienna, listen to me, we have little time. They'll spot us for sure once the longboat launches from the underbelly. We're going to fly into the Phantom nebula and seek cover there. It's our only chance to escape I'll explain everything when we –"

"Well, well, well!"

Sienna's heart stopped as she and her father turned to see Captain John Ehler, Mr. Olson, and the helmsman standing before them. Farleigh's jaw clenched as he stepped in front of his daughter.

"I suspected this would happen. When Olson told me you were on watch it was fruitless to assume our plan was still well concealed," Ehler sighed.

"Sienna, get in the boat," Farleigh ordered in a low voice. Sienna noticed the pistol he had taken out of his belt and was holding behind his back. Sienna didn't hesitate. She reached to pull herself into the skiff when Ehler's voice stopped her.

"Oh I wouldn't do that, Lady Kestrel," he spoke in a low voice. Sienna hesitated. "Farleigh, you of all people should know by now that you have nowhere left to run. I would appreciate your company as we travel to sector 7."

"Why? So you can hand us over to your mysterious benefactor?" Farleigh sneered. "No thank you, Captain."

"Do not make me take you by force," Ehler growled, his face hardening now. Sienna used this opportune distraction to pull herself into the longboat. Her heart was racing. She had no weapon on her, no way to defend herself or her father. Her face drained of color. Ehler still didn't realize that her father held the pistol behind his back. Her father was not afraid to shoot, that she was certain of, but he would not aim for the kill. He'd aim to wound them.

But Farleigh couldn't injure all three men at once.

"Who is your benefactor?" Farleigh whispered, a vein in his forehead throbbing as he attempted to remain in control. John Ehler smirked and turned his back to Farleigh. Time seemed to slow as it passed. Once Ehler was at least four feet away he whirled back around, taking the gun out of his own belt and firing at Farleigh's leg.

"Dad!" Sienna yelled as her father crumpled, releasing a tortured cry. She had to do something. The men could take her stupid wings for all she cared. Ehler aimed his gun at her next causing Sienna to hesitate in leaving the boat. Her fingers gripped the wood as her father raised his gun, also pointing it at her. Her pupils constricted and her ears rang. "No," she whispered as he pulled the trigger.

Sienna screamed as the boat fell, fell through the air into deep space, leaving her father behind on the ship. He had shot the cables holding her in the skiff. There was no way for him to escape now and Sienna was so lost in her fear that she couldn't understand up from down. The universe was spinning. The millions of suns and moons swirled around her as her hands shook.

_Get to the nebula_, she thought. _Get to the nebula. Oh please god let me get to the nebula._

She pulled open the solar sail and took the tiller. Her hands were shaking so bad she could hardly control the craft when the faint sound of thunder reached her ears. Before she had time to understand what was happening, an explosion of light and dark washed over her. She was thrown forward from the momentum, the nebulous clouds beginning to surround her. Sienna's longboat was thrown forward, its engines completely ruptured. Yet the shockwave from the cannon's laser ball sent her skiff sailing deeper into the stellar dust, covering her from the eyes of the men on the ship.

Sienna gasped, her eyes blurry, her ears still buzzing from the fiery noise. She gripped the part of her skiff that hadn't been blown away in the detonation and tried to sit up when her arms and legs gave out. She lifted her hand to see a wavering image swim before her eyes. She was bleeding.

_Stop the blood flow_, she thought. _Survive._

She reached for her shirt to tear a piece off when she realized that the blood was soaking through the fabric. Ripping off the material her stomach twisted. Sticking out of her side was a sharp remnant of the longboat's wooden keel. It had blown off and cut into her side. Gripping the splinter, she tried to control her sobs while she pulled it out and threw it off the ship. Her wound wasn't as deep as she had thought, but the pain came in sharp bursts. It ripped through her belly, singing her pain receptors.

Perspiration dotted her brow as her stomach finally gave out and she threw up off the side of the boat. She tried desperately to clap her hands over her injury and put pressure on the wound, but between her heaving moans and the pain she couldn't hold her position.

"Please…" she whispered to the darkness of space. "Please…"

She didn't really know what she was asking for. Perhaps it was a silent prayer, a silent plea to the stars to save her father.

John Ehler pulling the trigger.

Will kissing her goodbye.

Her mother's picture hiding at the bottom of her bag.

She had lost everything in her life because of her wings, and as Sienna watched the misty star dust swirl around her, she felt it was only right that she should soon lose hers.

**A/N: Okay, so I guess here's the next chapter! Again, Jim's not yet in this chapter, but he will be in the next chapter, that I can promise you. I don't really know where this story is going. I have a very vague idea and I'm just sort of writing whatever comes to mind. Usually when I write stories I plot out every scene from beginning to end so that when I sit down and write there are no plot holes or mistakes. But because this story is not one of my more serious stories and this is just kind of being done for practice you'll all have to bear with me. **

**So I guess I've decided that I'm going to make this a JimxOC story because it's the cliché thing to do and because I need to work on refining my romance skills. (I'm forever alone!) Totally kidding. So, again, you guys might be getting antsy for Jim to pop in, but this chapter was important because now Sienna is on her own and she's wounded. Enter Jim Hawkins en le next chapter! Again, probably not that many people going to be reading this story but what the heck? **

**REVIEW REPLIES/Special Thanks: **

**CorruptedFlower: Thanks a lot! I'm really excited that you liked it! Thanks for following me as an author and this story and all your lovely favorites! I really appreciate it and I'm excited to, hopefully, entertain you in future chapters! :)**

**And special thanks also goes to Katie Fandom Freak as well as lazyX1000**

**I appreciate your interests in this story and I really hope I won't let you down! Thanks a lot! **


	3. The Apple Swan

**Chapter 3**

** The Apple Swan**

There was some noise in the distance.

_"They are a gift."_

_ "Don't make me do this."_

_ "I love you."_

_ "Nowhere left to run."_

_ "Your benefactor."_

_ "Sienna…"_

Her head jerked to the side. Something was happening. There were arms wrapping around her, cradling her as she floated on clouds through thousands of stars.

"Don't," she whimpered. "Please…" They were taking her away. They were going to cut off her wings. "No."

The arms tightened their hold as another voice reached her ears, one completely foreign to her.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay," the voice soothed. Sienna had not the strength to struggle as the arms carried her away up to the sky, and she wished that those arms were Will's arms. She wished that he was there to hold her – to tell her it would be okay. "You're safe. I've got you."

The arms turned into dark arms. John Ehler's arms. They wrapped around her, squeezing her neck. She saw her wings spread out as he held the knife above them, about to bring it down, to chop them off and she couldn't move. She couldn't move.

A violent scream escaped her lips as Sienna sat bolt upright, her mind coming to when she realized she was in a bed. A bed meant for a captain's quarters no doubt. She threw off the sheets and tumbled off the mattress as her legs gave out. She sat on the floor for a moment and raised her shirt to see the thick white bandages wrapped around her midsection. Her brain was still foggy with fatigue, her limbs shaking.

She had to escape. John Ehler had found her, he'd recaptured her. Yanking open the door she stumbled out into an ornate stateroom. Beautiful, wide glass windows stood behind a solid wooden desk. Sunlight filtered through the panes as she stepped forward to look outside. She was still in space. The ship was merely passing by a distant planet's sun. Her instincts came to her then. She had to get off the ship, she had to flee. She scrambled for the door that would lead her outside when it opened suddenly catching her off guard.

Before the person had any time to react, Sienna had snapped her arm back and let it go, nailing the person in the nose with a solid punch.

"Ow!" the person yelled. "Son of a – What the hell?"

Sienna scampered behind the desk and began rifling through the drawers, finally finding what she was looking for. Captains always kept weapons in their desks. Grabbing the dagger she held it up as the person – a human, much to her surprise – leaned against the closed door trying to stop his nose from bleeding. When his blue eyes locked on her battle stance and the way she was holding a knife, he held up his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa it's okay. Put the knife down, I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her. Sienna didn't waver in her stance, but she did take a moment to survey his appearance. He was a captain - that much was obvious. But not just any captain, he was a Naval captain which was apparent from his blue uniform, an interstellar emblem stitched under his shoulder. He had cropped brown hair that was neatly combed and a small square patch of said hair on his chin. His eyes, as she had noticed before, were of the most piercing blue. His stature was tall; she could even see the broad muscles of his arms underneath his outfit. All in all he wasn't bad looking and she let down her guard just enough to make him feel more at ease.

"Who are you?" she whispered. The captain was now holding his sleeve up to his nose, trying to wipe away the blood that continued to dribble down his chin. A purplish bruise was forming at the base of his nose which was also swelling from such a direct hit.

"I'm Jim Hawkins – er, Captain Jim Hawkins," he corrected himself. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just, put the knife down." She studied his face for any sign that he was lying. Her gaze roamed over his body once more, stopping at his waist where she spotted a pistol. He noticed her look as she tensed up again. "I won't use my pistol, I promise. I won't even touch it. I just need you to lower your weapon, okay?" His voice was gentle, soothing just like…

Her mouth dried up when she remembered the voice in her dreams: "You're safe. I've got you."

Very carefully she set the dagger on his desk, but made sure it was still within arm's reach. Captain Hawkins relaxed as he took slow steps toward the surface. She stepped back, bumping into the windows as he reached into one of his drawers and pulled out an old rag. She watched as he held it up to his nose which was finally starting to slow.

"Ouch," he hissed. "You have a good arm."

Sienna said nothing. Her adrenaline was starting to wear off and with it came the pain.

"You carried me," she breathed. Hawkins stopped what he was doing to look at her.

"Yeah, I carried you on board. You were in no state to walk, so I hope you don't mind," he passed her a small smile.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice still quiet.

"You're onboard the RLS Superior, ma'am, a naval cutter, my vessel. Our vessel was trying to pave way through the Phantom nebula when we saw your damaged longboat and took you aboard. You were badly injured, but our medical officer dressed your wound," he explained. Sienna froze, suddenly realizing that they would have had to undress her enough to get at her injury.

"Did you take off my shirt?" she demanded.

"What?" Captain Hawkins asked, his head snapping up.

"Did you take off my shirt to bandage my wound?"

"No, of course not. We rolled it up enough to get at it. What sort of men do you think we are?" he scoffed.

"I don't know, I've met lots of men," she narrowed her eyes. Secretly, she was pleased he hadn't seen the scars on her shoulder blades. She wouldn't have known how to explain that. Mr. Hawkins cocked an eyebrow.

"Apparently," he grunted. "So, do you have a name, Miss?"

"Sienna," she answered, gingerly feeling her side.

"Any last name?"

"Why are you so curious?" she demanded, feeling defensive. Her head was pounding, her side seared. She didn't have time for his nonsense. She had to get back to the ship that had taken her father. She had to free him and make John Ehler pay.

"I'm just trying to understand," he held up his hands. "So it's just Sienna?"

"Sienna Kestrel," she added in another whisper. The room was tilting again in odd ways. She tried to force herself to stay awake, to be prepared for anything.

"That's a pretty name," Hawkins was saying. She needed to find her father.

"I-I have to go," she stammered, making for the door when the ground beneath her lurched. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she sank to her knees. She couldn't save him, she just didn't have the strength to save her father.

She was losing him, like she had lost Will, like she had lost her mother.

"You are in no state to go anywhere," Hawkins grunted, reaching out to put an arm around her shoulders and help her up. Sienna wanted to push him away. She did not feel comfortable with him. How could she know he was what he said he was? But she had not the strength to fight back. She leaned on him as he led her back to the bed in the side room.

"This is your bed," she rambled, her vision darkening once more.

"Yeah, the only decent one aboard," he snorted. "Now lie down. Don't strain yourself. I'll get my medical officer up here." Sienna wanted to push him away and find her father, but she was far too weak to stand, let alone commandeer another skiff back into the nebula. She tried to sit up as Mr. Hawkins left the room, but it was futile. When her head hit the pillow once more she was gone.

* * *

Sienna blinked open heavy eyes. It took her a moment to recognize where she was, but when she did panic seized her. She was wasting time. Her father was still out there and in need of her help. She sat up, taking care not to strain her injury. When she rolled up her shirt to take a peek she noted that someone had wrapped new bandages around it. She pulled off the covers and set her feet on the wooden floor of the captain's bedroom. She felt uncomfortable here, alone in his room as she stood, taking care not to stand too fast lest she be hit by a dizzy spell.

As she stretched and moved her arms, Sienna had to admit that she felt much better than before. There was an ache in her side, but no more painful than the common stich. She reached for the door handle that would lead her out into the Captain's stateroom. The door made such an obnoxious creaking sound, Sienna flinched. Captain Hawkins, who had been at his desk filling out paperwork, looked up.

"Miss Kestrel," he greeted, getting to his feet. Sienna's mouth fell open when she noticed his face. He had a white splint running across his nose that was still swollen from where she had punched him. She bit her lip trying to hide her smile. Mr. Hawkins frowned.

"Are you alright? What seems to be the matter?"

"Did I do that to you?" she asked. Hawkins seemed surprised.

"Er, yeah. You did," he rubbed his neck. Sienna couldn't help herself; she let out a short snicker before clapping her hands over her mouth. She knew it really wasn't a laughing matter, let alone was it respectable to admire her handiwork, but she couldn't help it. Perhaps she was so struck with worry she was desperate for some sort of joy.

"It's not funny," Mr. Hawkins crossed his arms, not looking at all amused.

"I'm sorry," she cleared her throat, attempting to straighten up.

"That's better," he nodded before reaching under his desk and pulling something out. "Now, would you like to tell me a little bit about how you ended up in a damaged longboat deep within a nebula?"

Sienna's laughter dried up. She sucked in a sharp breath when she noticed he had her knapsack full of items.

"You didn't tell me you saved my bag," she pointed out, walking over to his desk.

"That's because I wasn't done going through it," Mr. Hawkins calmly replied. Sienna glared at him.

"It's none of your business what's in my bag," she snapped, reaching out for it and beginning to dig through her clothes. There was nothing that could jeopardize who she was except…

"Where's -?" she began when Hawkins cut her off.

"This?" he finished, holding up the old picture of her mother. Sienna dropped her bag and reached across his desk to grab it from him, when Hawkins held it out of reach.

"Give it back!" she yelled. "It's mine!"

"I'll return this picture to you after you tell me what's really going on here," he answered. Sienna shook her head.

"I just need to…to go. I can't stay on this ship any longer. I've wasted too much time," she panicked, raking her fingers through her long blonde hair.

"Go where? Why have you wasted so much time?" Captain Hawkins furrowed his brow. "You're not allowed to leave this ship until I get an answer, Miss Kestrel."

"What do you want me to say?" she exploded, her eyes focusing on the image of her mother that was so worn from years of her carrying it around. Letting out a little breath she leaned against his desk. "My father and I were making transit to a different planet. The ship we were working on turned out to be nothing but a bunch of…" she trailed off, unsure of what to call them. She couldn't call them hunters, not in front of Hawkins.

"Pirates?" he supplied. Sienna nodded, accepting the lie he, himself, formulated.

"They attacked us. My father he –"

John Ehler pulling the trigger.

Sienna's throat constricted as she fought to keep her face passive, a wall through which nobody could read her.

"Are you alright, Miss Kestrel?" Mr. Hawkins asked. Sienna's eyes caught his own. She didn't think he'd be the sort of person to speak in such a soothing way. She was used to captains barking orders. They were loudmouthed, daring, boisterous. Yet, Captain Hawkins' voice was soft, gentle even, as if he were trying to tame a Zaftwing.

"They shot my father in the leg. They were going to kill me when my father blasted the cables so my lifeboat was free. I tried to get to the nebula to hide, but before I could find cover, the gunner aboard hit me with a laser ball," she finished. "They have my father, I have to go after him. I know he's still alive."

Mr. Hawkins was staring at her with a worried expression, his thumb and forefinger pinching his chin in thought.

"Why were they after you? Why would they hire you onto their ship in the first place? It's unusual for pirates to dock in major ports," he said. Sienna's heart slowed. She mentally cursed him for being so smart, so curious. Why couldn't she have found a dumb captain?

"I don't know," she hesitated. She watched him study her face, trying to search for the truth. He knew she was lying. Sienna forced her face to remain placid, unreadable. It was a trick her father taught her if she was ever under surveillance. After a moment Hawkins let it go as he sat down again with a sigh.

She watched him rub his face, setting down her mother's picture. Sienna snatched it back up and stored it away in her bag still on the floor where she had dropped it. When she straightened back up, her bag over her shoulders, Hawkins was reading the paperwork in front of him.

"What's the ship's name?" he asked. "I'll have to file a report of this." Sienna wondered that if she gave him the name he'd find out sooner or later that the persons weren't pirates. She sucked on the inside of her cheek, a habit she did when she was nervous.

"The Devastation," she answered truthfully. "The captain's name was John Ehler." Hawkins took notes before looking up again.

"Do you have any idea where this ship was heading?"

"They were en route to sector 7," she explained.

"Hmm, well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem," he tapped his desk before getting to his feet once more.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I am in charge of patrolling these areas at the moment. If there's any sort of danger we're in charge of protecting civilians. I'll have to talk to my first mate, but I think our course can be adjusted," he replied.

"You're going after the ship?" she asked, astonished that he was helping her so. "You're going to take me to sector 7?"

"No, I'm not going because of you. I'm going because it's my job to take care of pirates. Though I don't suppose you have anywhere else to go at the moment so…welcome aboard," he smiled, sticking out his hand. Sienna passed him a small smile in return as she accepted the hand shake. She was moving again. She was going to save her father. "In that case, I'll have to assign you a post. There's always plenty of work to be done around here. How would you like to be a –"

"Cabin girl," she responded. "I'd be happy to be your cabin girl." Mr. Hawkins looked surprised, and then confused.

"How old are you again?"

"Nineteen," she said, lifting her chin.

"Miss Kestrel, I'd be happy to assign you a role as a roper."

"No, I'd prefer to be the cabin girl, unless of course you've already got one." She rocked on the balls of her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. Mr. Hawkins consented to her demand.

"Very well, I'll inform my cook in the morning. You should get some rest. Your wound will heal in time, but not if you're pushing yourself. You'll find the bunkhouse below deck. Do you want me to have one of the crew escort you or –"

"No, I'm capable of finding it on my own, thank you, Captain," she replied, turning to leave the room.

"You'll have to be up early tomorrow. Don't be late, our cook isn't the nicest," Mr. Hawkins warned before she left the room, shutting the door behind her. The helmsman gave her a nod as she headed down the stairs to find the bunk house below deck. Nobody else was awake, she must have slept through the day. The skies were dark, once again, the planet's sun they had long since passed.

As she entered the bunk house, seeing all of her naval crewmembers at rest, she felt gravely out of place. She didn't belong on a ship like this. She tried to make herself comfortable in her hammock, but no matter what she did sleep evaded her. She couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the wrong thing by lying to Mr. Hawkins. Wouldn't he know eventually that John Ehler was not a pirate? She felt so alone, so afraid. She had always had her father to help her, to watch over her and make sure nobody found out that she had wings.

Sienna felt like a little girl again – lost and confused without her mother – terrified of what was beyond her door. She curled up in the fetal position in her hammock, trying to block out the memories but it was no use.

Minutes later she found herself tiptoeing back up on deck toward the galley. She was glad nobody was awake to see her or stop her. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. The galley was familiar. It was her place of comfort. It was where she knew she could work to stop from thinking so much. She grabbed a paring knife out of a wooden block on the counter and searched the kitchen for any sort of fruit. When she spotted the green apples she smiled, taking one in her hand, and beginning to work. She sat on the floor in the corner cutting, slicing, peeling. She was so intent on her work she didn't realize how late it had gotten until she had finished. A swan apple rested in her palm, fruit shavings decorating her lap.

It was a replica of a time when life had been perfect. A piece of her memory. Her mother had always loved swans. The day her mother had disappeared Sienna had spent hours in the kitchen trying to carve the animal into the fruit. When her father had come home, after searching with the police, he'd found her on the floor. Her hands had been cut from her knife slips, her face was waterlogged and flushed, the apple peelings all over the tiles.

But in all of the mess she had created there still remained…

…one perfectly shaped apple swan.

**A/N: Wow, so, Sienna finally meets the handsome Captain Hawkins! Yay! Are you guys excited? I'm excited, I loved writing this chapter! It was uneventful, I know, but hopefully not boring. I'd just like everyone to know that Sienna didn't punch him in the face because she's the kick-butt type of girl. She just did so because she freaked and thought he was pirate. **

**So, a few things I should probably explain in this author's note just so you readers don't hate me when the time comes…**

**PLEASE READ ALL BELOW: **

**I don't know if many of you know this, but I've also been working on a fantasy book of mine that I hope will get published someday. I've been taking a lot of classes on the publishing industry and having my work reviewed. Well, now I just have to write the book. So every year there's this thing called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) it takes place in November. You try to get 50,000 words by the end of the month. **

**I'm going to be participating this November. So, I'll try to update this story as much as I can before the end of October (but keep in mind I have to set up some things in my fantasy book and I'm working a lot). So when November comes I'll be going AWOL. I won't be writing anything else but my fantasy book for 1 whole month.**

**I probably shouldn't have started this story when I did, and I apologize. So, if I don't post for a month, don't think it's because I've abandoned the story. In fact I finally have a sense for where this plot is going. It's just that I'll be doing NaNoWriMo, so please wish me luck! As soon as November is over I shall return to writing this story, because I never want to disappoint my readers!**

**That being said…**

**REVIEW REPLIES/Special Thanks: **

**CorruptedFlower: Thank you so much! I'm happy you're excited for this story, and but of course, what would this story be without some JimxOC? That rhymed! Yes! ;)**

**Special thanks also goes to: lazyX1000, and Farming 101! Thanks a lot for all your support! I sincerely appreciate it!**


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